. >> president obama did not introduce any new policies, but he did reiterate his strong support for raising the federal minimum wage, which stands at a paltry $7.25 an hour. >> there are fast food workers and airport workers and retail sales assistants who work their tails off and are still living at or barely above poverty. that's why it's well past the time to raise a minimum wage that in real terms right now is below where it was when harry truman was in office. if you work hard, you should be able to support a family. >> polls consistently show that the economy remains the single biggest concern for americans, and now more than ever the concept of a living wage seems to be gaining ground. adjusted for inflation, today's federal minimum wage is a full $3.50 less than the minimum wage of 1968, which stood at $10.60 an hour. for the past month, senate democrats have been working to pass a measure to raise the minimum wage to $10 an hour, a plan the white house has now endorsed. already this year, five states have passed measures to raise the minimum wage, something workers across t